Vicky T. : Mental Illness
13 May 2014
Dear Humanity,
I wanted to address how the mentally disabled are invisible in our society and how it should end. First of all, they should never be frowned upon or made fun of for something they have no control of. People born with a mental illness usually become invisible to society as they grow up because they are put in to special schools and are considered “Special Ed” students. Back in elementary school, I would notice the few kids who have slurred speech and those with aids by their sides. I never thought twice about them and was afraid to be near them. Generally, people would ignore them because they are different and difficult to interact with. Personally, I believe these people should be recognized more because they diversify our society. In school, the teachers and staff do not speak of their presence and even though it may not be necessary, students should know that they are a part of our school. Those students may be in different classes than most of us but by acknowledging their presence more, us students would become more comfortable seeing them around campus. By ending their invisibility in schools, each student would become more aware and comfortable around the “Special Ed” students. In addition, there should be more opportunities for those students to partake in large school events. I remember a couple years ago, a mentally disabled student composed a musical piece that was performed in my orchestra class. Everyone was stunned; I know I was. Not only would students be more aware of the school’s diversity, they would become less prejudice against those who are different than them. Ending this invisibility would benefit those who are mentally disabled and the rest of the people because those who are mentally disabled would be acknowledged and offered more opportunities while everyone else develop into less discriminate human beings.
Sincerely,
Vicky T.
Dear Humanity,
I wanted to address how the mentally disabled are invisible in our society and how it should end. First of all, they should never be frowned upon or made fun of for something they have no control of. People born with a mental illness usually become invisible to society as they grow up because they are put in to special schools and are considered “Special Ed” students. Back in elementary school, I would notice the few kids who have slurred speech and those with aids by their sides. I never thought twice about them and was afraid to be near them. Generally, people would ignore them because they are different and difficult to interact with. Personally, I believe these people should be recognized more because they diversify our society. In school, the teachers and staff do not speak of their presence and even though it may not be necessary, students should know that they are a part of our school. Those students may be in different classes than most of us but by acknowledging their presence more, us students would become more comfortable seeing them around campus. By ending their invisibility in schools, each student would become more aware and comfortable around the “Special Ed” students. In addition, there should be more opportunities for those students to partake in large school events. I remember a couple years ago, a mentally disabled student composed a musical piece that was performed in my orchestra class. Everyone was stunned; I know I was. Not only would students be more aware of the school’s diversity, they would become less prejudice against those who are different than them. Ending this invisibility would benefit those who are mentally disabled and the rest of the people because those who are mentally disabled would be acknowledged and offered more opportunities while everyone else develop into less discriminate human beings.
Sincerely,
Vicky T.
Ariana D. : Identity
May 14, 2014
Dear Society:
There is so much that makes up who a person is, and a large part of that is one’s race. For race is so much more than just the color of one’s skin or the country they or their ancestors hail from. It is one’s culture, their perspective on the world and the world’s perspective on them. Being biracial means having two of each of these and having to choose which set to identify with. It is already difficult enough to figure out one’s identity growing up without the added challenge of having to chose between the two pieces of who one is, because when it comes to race many questionnaires state, “chose the category that best applies” and not, “choose all that apply”. When a person is racially half-and-half how do they go about choosing the race that “best applies” to them?
This question is one that I have personally struggled with being half white and half black myself. I was raised by my mother’s side of the family who is white and because I appear more white than I do black, when forced to choose, I identify more so with being white. However when looking at the government’s current definition, I would legally be considered black by the “one drop rule” which goes back to the days of Jim Crowe laws and states that anyone with any traceable black ancestors is black.
One could ignore such antiquated ideas though, and chose for themself how to identify however, when a biracial person does this they can often be faced with unexpected backlash. Andromeda Turre recently wrote a piece for the Huffington Post titled “PSA: ‘What are you?’ Is Not an Icebreaker” identifying with this issue stating that growing up, “The Latina girls looked down upon [her] because [she] "didn't know [her] heritage" and couldn't speak Spanish” and that she would “have to explain why [she] "talk[ed] white" and that “[her] hair is real. And that [her] mom was not [her] babysitter, but in fact [her] mom. And that [her] father did not adopt [her]”. These factors and the social isolation they cause make it nearly impossible for a biracial person to find their identity.
So what do I propose as a solution to all of this? Instead of forcing biracial people chose which half of themself to like, let a racially mixed person tell you how they want to identify and don’t push them away for what they chose. They might not look just like everyone else within that racial group, or they might not know the culture as well as some think they should, but they have chosen that group and it’s culture to identify with and that should be enough. Or, better yet, don’t make them chose at all. Let racially mixed people tow the line between the two beautiful parts of what makes them who they are in a way that only they are lucky enough to be able to do.
Sincerely,
Ariana D.
Dear Society:
There is so much that makes up who a person is, and a large part of that is one’s race. For race is so much more than just the color of one’s skin or the country they or their ancestors hail from. It is one’s culture, their perspective on the world and the world’s perspective on them. Being biracial means having two of each of these and having to choose which set to identify with. It is already difficult enough to figure out one’s identity growing up without the added challenge of having to chose between the two pieces of who one is, because when it comes to race many questionnaires state, “chose the category that best applies” and not, “choose all that apply”. When a person is racially half-and-half how do they go about choosing the race that “best applies” to them?
This question is one that I have personally struggled with being half white and half black myself. I was raised by my mother’s side of the family who is white and because I appear more white than I do black, when forced to choose, I identify more so with being white. However when looking at the government’s current definition, I would legally be considered black by the “one drop rule” which goes back to the days of Jim Crowe laws and states that anyone with any traceable black ancestors is black.
One could ignore such antiquated ideas though, and chose for themself how to identify however, when a biracial person does this they can often be faced with unexpected backlash. Andromeda Turre recently wrote a piece for the Huffington Post titled “PSA: ‘What are you?’ Is Not an Icebreaker” identifying with this issue stating that growing up, “The Latina girls looked down upon [her] because [she] "didn't know [her] heritage" and couldn't speak Spanish” and that she would “have to explain why [she] "talk[ed] white" and that “[her] hair is real. And that [her] mom was not [her] babysitter, but in fact [her] mom. And that [her] father did not adopt [her]”. These factors and the social isolation they cause make it nearly impossible for a biracial person to find their identity.
So what do I propose as a solution to all of this? Instead of forcing biracial people chose which half of themself to like, let a racially mixed person tell you how they want to identify and don’t push them away for what they chose. They might not look just like everyone else within that racial group, or they might not know the culture as well as some think they should, but they have chosen that group and it’s culture to identify with and that should be enough. Or, better yet, don’t make them chose at all. Let racially mixed people tow the line between the two beautiful parts of what makes them who they are in a way that only they are lucky enough to be able to do.
Sincerely,
Ariana D.
Ryan H. : People of Taiwan
Dear President Obama,
Since the retreat of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and it people from China to Taiwan after the defeat to the Chinese Communist Party in the post-WWII era, Taiwanese people have suffered greatly.
Taiwanese people have suffered continuously throughout the years from the lack of political and economic equality with most of the nations in the world. This is largely due to China and its Communist Party’s opposition. For example, China has threatened the US, Japan, and many other European countries to not form any sorts of alliance or treaties with Taiwan. Else, China will end or restrict its exports of raw material and cheap manufacturing goods to other nations. Because of this, many Taiwanese people, especially those businessmen, have suffered from unequal treatments during their negotiations with people in other countries.
Taiwanese people have suffered from the denial of entry in most of the international organizations. For example, Taiwan can’t be a member of the United Nation because of the economic and political pressure from China on other countries. For the 195 countries in the world, only three of them, including Taiwan, are not in the UN. Even Countries such as North Korea and Cuba, which are known for human right violations, are members of the UN. As a result, Taiwanese people can neither participate in any international events nor make any decisions concerning global issues in the UN. Similarly, Taiwan can’t enter the WHO (World Health Organization) due to the opposition to China. During the outbreak of the SARS virus, the WHO provided no assistance to Taiwan. Without the help of the WHO, numerous Taiwanese people had suffered physically due to the symptoms caused by the SARS virus. If those Taiwanese people could have received assistance from the WHO, many of them could have suffered less if not be prevented from having the virus at all. Because of those denials, Taiwanese people have a lack of basic rights and privileges that other countries’ citizens enjoy.
Taiwanese people have suffered from the restriction of representing their country’s name in most international events. For instance, in the Olympics and the Special Olympics, Taiwanese are not allowed to use or present the word “Taiwan”, the name of the country they are from and representing for; instead, they have to use “Chinese Taipei” because of the pressure and opposition from China. It is extremely unfair to Taiwanese people since everyone in the world but those people can represent his or her own country in those international events.
Taiwanese people have long contributed to other nations and the world that demonstrate the duty of global citizens. They have involved in almost every single international event and have voluntarily help out numerous countries and social groups when those countries or groups face hardships. Therefore, as the President of the United States of America, the most powerful and influential nation in the world, you should make your best effort to end the invisibility of Taiwanese people in the world and thereby enable them to obtain their basic rights and privileges internationally that everyone else enjoys.
Since the retreat of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and it people from China to Taiwan after the defeat to the Chinese Communist Party in the post-WWII era, Taiwanese people have suffered greatly.
Taiwanese people have suffered continuously throughout the years from the lack of political and economic equality with most of the nations in the world. This is largely due to China and its Communist Party’s opposition. For example, China has threatened the US, Japan, and many other European countries to not form any sorts of alliance or treaties with Taiwan. Else, China will end or restrict its exports of raw material and cheap manufacturing goods to other nations. Because of this, many Taiwanese people, especially those businessmen, have suffered from unequal treatments during their negotiations with people in other countries.
Taiwanese people have suffered from the denial of entry in most of the international organizations. For example, Taiwan can’t be a member of the United Nation because of the economic and political pressure from China on other countries. For the 195 countries in the world, only three of them, including Taiwan, are not in the UN. Even Countries such as North Korea and Cuba, which are known for human right violations, are members of the UN. As a result, Taiwanese people can neither participate in any international events nor make any decisions concerning global issues in the UN. Similarly, Taiwan can’t enter the WHO (World Health Organization) due to the opposition to China. During the outbreak of the SARS virus, the WHO provided no assistance to Taiwan. Without the help of the WHO, numerous Taiwanese people had suffered physically due to the symptoms caused by the SARS virus. If those Taiwanese people could have received assistance from the WHO, many of them could have suffered less if not be prevented from having the virus at all. Because of those denials, Taiwanese people have a lack of basic rights and privileges that other countries’ citizens enjoy.
Taiwanese people have suffered from the restriction of representing their country’s name in most international events. For instance, in the Olympics and the Special Olympics, Taiwanese are not allowed to use or present the word “Taiwan”, the name of the country they are from and representing for; instead, they have to use “Chinese Taipei” because of the pressure and opposition from China. It is extremely unfair to Taiwanese people since everyone in the world but those people can represent his or her own country in those international events.
Taiwanese people have long contributed to other nations and the world that demonstrate the duty of global citizens. They have involved in almost every single international event and have voluntarily help out numerous countries and social groups when those countries or groups face hardships. Therefore, as the President of the United States of America, the most powerful and influential nation in the world, you should make your best effort to end the invisibility of Taiwanese people in the world and thereby enable them to obtain their basic rights and privileges internationally that everyone else enjoys.
Nicole B. : Undocumented Immigrants
To the Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Millions of people immigrate to America in hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. In some cases, when immigration through legal channels becomes difficult, immigrants enter the country illegally. Because of their undocumented status, these immigrants work very hard to remain invisible in our society. They live in constant fear of being caught, and are not legally protected from the abuse of employers and landlords. Therefore, the invisibility of illegal immigrants in our society must come to an end.
Not only do undocumented immigrants deserve the same chance as the rest of humanity to make a better future for their children and future generations, but they are also a significant part of our economy as a nation. These immigrants help contribute to the specialization of labor, allowing for cheaper food and better services to cycle through our economy. And yet, we as a society fail to recognize the rights of this invisible group.
Furthermore, the majority of undocumented immigrants are law-abiding individuals and some already pay taxes on their earned incomes. Additionally, our country contains too many illegal immigrants to either deport them or continue ignoring them. There are about 11 million undocumented immigrants in America, making it difficult for them to remain invisible.
Moreover, the natural right of immigration that is inherent to our humanity is being blatantly refused to these individuals. The freedom of movement is a right that every individual should possess, regardless of their legal status. The fact that this right is being withheld from these immigrants further proves why as a society, we should end the invisibility of undocumented immigrants.
Every individual deserves a chance to work toward a better life, especially these undocumented immigrants who work endlessly without complaint, living constantly in fear and invisibility. Out of respect for humanity, I urge you to acknowledge the rights of these individuals and help end their invisibility in our society.
Sincerely,
Nicole B.
Millions of people immigrate to America in hopes of making a better life for themselves and their families. In some cases, when immigration through legal channels becomes difficult, immigrants enter the country illegally. Because of their undocumented status, these immigrants work very hard to remain invisible in our society. They live in constant fear of being caught, and are not legally protected from the abuse of employers and landlords. Therefore, the invisibility of illegal immigrants in our society must come to an end.
Not only do undocumented immigrants deserve the same chance as the rest of humanity to make a better future for their children and future generations, but they are also a significant part of our economy as a nation. These immigrants help contribute to the specialization of labor, allowing for cheaper food and better services to cycle through our economy. And yet, we as a society fail to recognize the rights of this invisible group.
Furthermore, the majority of undocumented immigrants are law-abiding individuals and some already pay taxes on their earned incomes. Additionally, our country contains too many illegal immigrants to either deport them or continue ignoring them. There are about 11 million undocumented immigrants in America, making it difficult for them to remain invisible.
Moreover, the natural right of immigration that is inherent to our humanity is being blatantly refused to these individuals. The freedom of movement is a right that every individual should possess, regardless of their legal status. The fact that this right is being withheld from these immigrants further proves why as a society, we should end the invisibility of undocumented immigrants.
Every individual deserves a chance to work toward a better life, especially these undocumented immigrants who work endlessly without complaint, living constantly in fear and invisibility. Out of respect for humanity, I urge you to acknowledge the rights of these individuals and help end their invisibility in our society.
Sincerely,
Nicole B.
Emi P. : Disabilities
The World
May 13, 2014
Dear World ,
I am writing this letter in an attempt to help a body of people that I feel don’t get the respect and awareness they deserve and that is the disabled and handicapped. I am writing this letter also in hope to spread awareness and knowledge in order to try my best to give these individuals who do suffer from a disability or are handicapped the love they deserve. Growing up I had the privilege of being neighbors with a family who’s youngest daughter Abby suffered from autism and multiple learning disabilities as well as not being able to walk the same as most kids her age due to hip dysplasia. As I look back on my experiences with this young girl I recall always taking her and her sisters to the park to play, I would always remember parents and their kids always overlooking her and asking her sisters to play and never asking if Abby wanted to. Growing up with noticing this continuous theme with how she was always rejected it really opened my eyes and made me more aware of this problem for later in life. Branching off from this when I was in elementary each year in my class there was this boy named Martin who suffered from Aspergers. Nobody wanted to ever play with him or took him seriously, partially because they didn’t know the condition he was in, and other times because they thought he was too “different” and “weird”.
Growing up acknowledging people that were a bit different than me was always something I was passionate about, especially because I saw how awful some of these people were treated, always being excluded and overlooked. I am writing to you today to help me inform our fellow peers that people living with being handicapped or having a disorder don’t choose
Josh T. : Appalachian Mountain People and Poverty
13 May 2014
Dear Humanity,
Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in poverty? Or to be constantly surrounded by deadly diseases? Or to even watch some of the people you are closest with die at such a young age? I hope none of you have ever had to experience any of this in your lifetime, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about the Appalachian Mountain People. Days continue to go by in which they struggle with countless problems that tear both people and their families apart. It will take a large change in our society but something must be done to reveal to the public what these poor human beings must endure every single day, and instead of hiding them, action must be called upon to not only create better living, but a better society as a whole.
It often seems that every day there are advertisements to help already prospering cities such as Los Angeles and New York, when we are failing to recognize that the areas in need of extreme help are not getting any publicity. We are too focused on third world countries such as Africa when right under our noses there is an area in the United States where there are living conditions that quite possibly could be worse. It was recently found that 20 Percent of the people in this region are living below the poverty line and are fighting just to stay alive each and every day. Since there are so many rivers and lakes to draw water from it seems as if clean drinking water would not be an issue but in those such as Logan County, West Virginia, 40 percent of the population does not have clean drinking water. It is just astonishing that one third of this population can be born into poverty and nothing is being done to try and help these people. Many of us take all of our success and ability to go about daily life for granted when the Appalachian Mountain People have a hard time just finding food on a day to day basis. If something is not done soon then this country will be put in a very tough spot as the people continue to die off.
It is sad to say that I was unaware of this situation happening right in my own backyard and clearly many people do not understand the circumstances that life is bringing them right now. So it is time for light to be shed on what is happening throughout these mountains because they deserve as much help as the rest of us and it is unfair for them to continue to be treated as an invisible population. The fact that so many people are dying at such a young age came as a shock to me and it should to you too. There is not much else I can say aside from we must help our own when they are down instead of covering them up if our country wants to succeed as a whole.
Sincerely,
Joshua T.
Dear Humanity,
Have you ever wondered what it is like to live in poverty? Or to be constantly surrounded by deadly diseases? Or to even watch some of the people you are closest with die at such a young age? I hope none of you have ever had to experience any of this in your lifetime, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about the Appalachian Mountain People. Days continue to go by in which they struggle with countless problems that tear both people and their families apart. It will take a large change in our society but something must be done to reveal to the public what these poor human beings must endure every single day, and instead of hiding them, action must be called upon to not only create better living, but a better society as a whole.
It often seems that every day there are advertisements to help already prospering cities such as Los Angeles and New York, when we are failing to recognize that the areas in need of extreme help are not getting any publicity. We are too focused on third world countries such as Africa when right under our noses there is an area in the United States where there are living conditions that quite possibly could be worse. It was recently found that 20 Percent of the people in this region are living below the poverty line and are fighting just to stay alive each and every day. Since there are so many rivers and lakes to draw water from it seems as if clean drinking water would not be an issue but in those such as Logan County, West Virginia, 40 percent of the population does not have clean drinking water. It is just astonishing that one third of this population can be born into poverty and nothing is being done to try and help these people. Many of us take all of our success and ability to go about daily life for granted when the Appalachian Mountain People have a hard time just finding food on a day to day basis. If something is not done soon then this country will be put in a very tough spot as the people continue to die off.
It is sad to say that I was unaware of this situation happening right in my own backyard and clearly many people do not understand the circumstances that life is bringing them right now. So it is time for light to be shed on what is happening throughout these mountains because they deserve as much help as the rest of us and it is unfair for them to continue to be treated as an invisible population. The fact that so many people are dying at such a young age came as a shock to me and it should to you too. There is not much else I can say aside from we must help our own when they are down instead of covering them up if our country wants to succeed as a whole.
Sincerely,
Joshua T.
Stamatia S. : Female Athletes
Dear USA,
Addressing citizens of the United States. Women in America have overcome great adversities like education rights, voting rights, and women in the workplace equality. Yet women in athletics remain invisible to the world around. We have come too far as a nation for this issue to be of such little significance. However it remains. The recognition of this group would not only gain true equality for women but open doors to endless opportunities regarding our youth and nations around.
An actual presence and equal representation of female athletes in society would serve as an inspiration to young females. Much of the nations body image problems has to do with the lack of female athletes in the public eye. As children, boys grow up playing with muscular action figures and watching their favorite NBA and NFL players on TV. Girls on the other hand grow up playing with dolls that have distorted body proportions, looking at photo shopped models in magazines, and idolizing uncommonly petite actresses and singers. There are no representatives providing the concept that being an athletic, strong and healthy woman is something to aspire to be. There is no push for girls to excel in their respective sports because there is no media attention on female athlete role models help push girls achieve their highest level.
Many claim the lack of female athlete presence in the media is because it is not marketable to the public. Claims that it is not something most viewers would wish to watch. However football, for example, is on (what seems to be) nonstop. Whether it's the pregame, game, post game, athlete insider, and everything in-between the media is shoving football in our faces. As a result, more people become aware of teams, specific players because it is what's on TV constantly. If different women athletes are shown more and more often, it's a given that people will become more acquainted with them and their sport and become more interested. The media is such a powerful force in society, it is a vital ingredient for success of female athletes.
You may be wondering why I addressed this letter to the United States instead of the World, because female athlete invisibility is present in other nations. But it is America that can make the first step towards equality. The U.S. is a leading nations and that largely influences those around and once recognition has grown in the states, rapid growth throughout the world will soon follow.
Women in athletics constrains millions of females into invisibility. Trapped in a seemingly "equal" country, females are silenced by the power of media. Female athletes being brought into societies light will create greater possibilities, not only in pursuing the most from athletic achievements but help create healthier and happier young girls in this nation and around the world.
Sincerely,
Stamatia S.
Addressing citizens of the United States. Women in America have overcome great adversities like education rights, voting rights, and women in the workplace equality. Yet women in athletics remain invisible to the world around. We have come too far as a nation for this issue to be of such little significance. However it remains. The recognition of this group would not only gain true equality for women but open doors to endless opportunities regarding our youth and nations around.
An actual presence and equal representation of female athletes in society would serve as an inspiration to young females. Much of the nations body image problems has to do with the lack of female athletes in the public eye. As children, boys grow up playing with muscular action figures and watching their favorite NBA and NFL players on TV. Girls on the other hand grow up playing with dolls that have distorted body proportions, looking at photo shopped models in magazines, and idolizing uncommonly petite actresses and singers. There are no representatives providing the concept that being an athletic, strong and healthy woman is something to aspire to be. There is no push for girls to excel in their respective sports because there is no media attention on female athlete role models help push girls achieve their highest level.
Many claim the lack of female athlete presence in the media is because it is not marketable to the public. Claims that it is not something most viewers would wish to watch. However football, for example, is on (what seems to be) nonstop. Whether it's the pregame, game, post game, athlete insider, and everything in-between the media is shoving football in our faces. As a result, more people become aware of teams, specific players because it is what's on TV constantly. If different women athletes are shown more and more often, it's a given that people will become more acquainted with them and their sport and become more interested. The media is such a powerful force in society, it is a vital ingredient for success of female athletes.
You may be wondering why I addressed this letter to the United States instead of the World, because female athlete invisibility is present in other nations. But it is America that can make the first step towards equality. The U.S. is a leading nations and that largely influences those around and once recognition has grown in the states, rapid growth throughout the world will soon follow.
Women in athletics constrains millions of females into invisibility. Trapped in a seemingly "equal" country, females are silenced by the power of media. Female athletes being brought into societies light will create greater possibilities, not only in pursuing the most from athletic achievements but help create healthier and happier young girls in this nation and around the world.
Sincerely,
Stamatia S.
Niko P. : The Homeless
13 May, 2014
Dear Humanity,
Homelessness. Present in the lives of all, but not a part of all lives. In other words, noticed day in and day out by all kinds of people, but not truly recognized or understood. Homelessness isn’t isolated to the lazy and the addicts. Many end up in the situations they lie in because of uncontrollable circumstances. The problem with the current state of homelessness is the misunderstanding, the stripping of human rights and the unfair treatment. As a worldwide society, people do not understand the potential capabilities of the homeless, nor do we understand the mistreatment which they experience to the extent of being deprived of their inalienable rights as human beings. All of these factors make the homeless invisible; and change is needed and essential.
Today’s homeless population likely contains tomorrow’s successes, but how will we ever know for certain unless we as a society give them the opportunities to prove so? Imagine the world without J.K Rowling’s “Harry Potter” masterpieces. In reality if it weren’t for her incredible hard work and determination, such stories would have never existed. Stories that inspired the youth of the world in innumerable ways. J.K Rowling was recently divorced and living on welfare with her dependent daughter. She traveled store to store, park to park with her daughter clinging to life at her side. Together, they lived off of the streets. Rowling took the time that she had in cafes and walking around town with her child to complete her writing. The perfect rags to riches story, J.K Rowling overcame the impossible feat of homelessness and published her writing to inspire the lives of billions worldwide. Who’s to say every homeless person doesn’t hold the same potential Rowling did? In France, every twenty seconds a homeless person dies according to a recent study. That is three deaths a minute. What if one of those deaths had been Rowling? What if the world had not been touched by her infamous writing, her inspiring stories of a boy who didn’t fit in at home but thrived and excelled elsewhere? These lessons are valuable and in today’s current homeless condition, humans could have lost a true treasure in Rowling due to her past struggle for survival on the streets. Homeless people need to be given the same opportunities as the general public so that we can avoid the loss of millions who hold so much potential and can change the world if given the chance.
The homeless community faces judgement and a disdainfully condescending attitude from the public and because of this are stuck in their role, invisible where they stand. The NCH Healthcare System performed a survey with the homeless people in Washington D.C. The NCH spoke to the homeless population and questioned, “How often in your personal experiences have private businesses and other such commodities discriminated against people without housing?” The general consensus of the results was often. Often times the homeless weren’t even admitted into mediocre establishments such as McDonalds. They were asked to leave the building and remain outside, like animals. It was also recorded that 70.4% of the homeless stated that private businesses treated them unfairly and 66.6% of law enforcements officers were guilty of the same. This is wrong of course, but does not pose any serious health care concerns to the homeless, however the statistic was later found that at least half of the homeless had experienced discrimination from medical services. Not only is this morally incorrect, but it is also dangerous. One woman explained she was refused help by local health care providers because “the staff thought she was faking it to get inside.” Another respondent explained, “When I got stabbed, the paramedic said there was nothing wrong with me …. He said I just wanted to get out of the rain.” One of the interviewed explained that she felt, “disconnected from the world.” There is no clearer a depiction of feeling invisible than feeling a disconnect from the very world you are a part of.
Aside from judgement and underestimation, the homeless community faces far more than simple unfairness. In fact, the homeless community has been recorded to have been stripped of their inalienable rights as human beings. These rights are, by law, protected and each and every person is entitled to them. To strip someone of their rights as human beings is a federal offense and is viewed as an enormous disrespect, unless of course the victim is a homeless citizen. Published on March 24, 2014, Gale Holland of the LA Times wrote of the mistreatment of homeless citizens in the area known as Skid Row of Los Angeles, California. Holland wrote of the unreasonable seizure of the belongings of the homeless. To clarify, this is the breaking and violation of the United State’s Fourth Amendment; protection against unreasonable search and seizure according to the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In numerous recounts, homeless citizens of Skid Row have had their personally owned items seized and destroyed when left unattended on the streets and sidewalks of Los Angeles. For a homeless person, going to court and having a trial is no easy task, nor a desired one. However despite the unlikelihood and near impossibility of a person without a home proposing a successful case to a court of judges, in 2011 eight Skid Row residents filed for cases. The eight citizens accused city workers of confiscating and dumping their personal possessions with the accompaniment of police officers. The items taken included, “medication, identification, cell phones, toiletries and other belongings.” Despite the current state of the homelessness that these people are living in, they are also being stripped of their inalienable rights as human beings. As if it weren’t hard enough to live on the streets, Humanity, let us take the few belongings these suffering people own and destroy them. No, this is wrong. It is simple bullying mechanics to pick out the weakest targets who cannot fight back and harass them, and this is exactly what is happening. The homeless cannot fight back because of their invisibility in society, and because of this they are an accessible target to anyone. Instead of trying to injure these people more than they have already been, we as a species, we as one united culture should be fighting to help, and to ensure them their inalienable rights. Instead, we continue to broaden the gap between “us and them” and make it increasingly difficult for the homeless to break free of their current condition and live happily as citizens of the world.
So Humanity, I ask you, do you want to be remembered for the way you discriminated those less fortunate than yourself, and struck them farther down into their despair? Or do you want to be remembered for the way that you fought to help every person, no matter their class, gender or ethnicity, achieve equality in this wonderful world that we live in? This world that we claim every man is treated equally. This world where we claim that each person is entitled to their rights as humans. This world which has the potential to be beautiful to everyone, and not just to those fortunate enough to say that they own a home and have a safe place to stay every night. We have the potential to change this, Humanity. We have the potential to give the homeless community worldwide the opportunities they deserve so that we can see all of the successes of tomorrow, and not just the ones who had the path laid in front of them but also the ones who had to cut their own path, and find their own way. You, Humanity, are the difference. Go make one.
With Hope for the Future,
Niko P.
Works Cited
1.http://www.businessinsider.com/rags-to-riches-stories-2011-11#jk-rowling-lived-on-welfare-before-creating-the-harry-potter-franchise-13
2. http://homelessnothopeless813.wordpress.com/homeless-not-hopeless/
3.http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-confiscation-20140324-story.html#axzz2yENSRCVR
Dear Humanity,
Homelessness. Present in the lives of all, but not a part of all lives. In other words, noticed day in and day out by all kinds of people, but not truly recognized or understood. Homelessness isn’t isolated to the lazy and the addicts. Many end up in the situations they lie in because of uncontrollable circumstances. The problem with the current state of homelessness is the misunderstanding, the stripping of human rights and the unfair treatment. As a worldwide society, people do not understand the potential capabilities of the homeless, nor do we understand the mistreatment which they experience to the extent of being deprived of their inalienable rights as human beings. All of these factors make the homeless invisible; and change is needed and essential.
Today’s homeless population likely contains tomorrow’s successes, but how will we ever know for certain unless we as a society give them the opportunities to prove so? Imagine the world without J.K Rowling’s “Harry Potter” masterpieces. In reality if it weren’t for her incredible hard work and determination, such stories would have never existed. Stories that inspired the youth of the world in innumerable ways. J.K Rowling was recently divorced and living on welfare with her dependent daughter. She traveled store to store, park to park with her daughter clinging to life at her side. Together, they lived off of the streets. Rowling took the time that she had in cafes and walking around town with her child to complete her writing. The perfect rags to riches story, J.K Rowling overcame the impossible feat of homelessness and published her writing to inspire the lives of billions worldwide. Who’s to say every homeless person doesn’t hold the same potential Rowling did? In France, every twenty seconds a homeless person dies according to a recent study. That is three deaths a minute. What if one of those deaths had been Rowling? What if the world had not been touched by her infamous writing, her inspiring stories of a boy who didn’t fit in at home but thrived and excelled elsewhere? These lessons are valuable and in today’s current homeless condition, humans could have lost a true treasure in Rowling due to her past struggle for survival on the streets. Homeless people need to be given the same opportunities as the general public so that we can avoid the loss of millions who hold so much potential and can change the world if given the chance.
The homeless community faces judgement and a disdainfully condescending attitude from the public and because of this are stuck in their role, invisible where they stand. The NCH Healthcare System performed a survey with the homeless people in Washington D.C. The NCH spoke to the homeless population and questioned, “How often in your personal experiences have private businesses and other such commodities discriminated against people without housing?” The general consensus of the results was often. Often times the homeless weren’t even admitted into mediocre establishments such as McDonalds. They were asked to leave the building and remain outside, like animals. It was also recorded that 70.4% of the homeless stated that private businesses treated them unfairly and 66.6% of law enforcements officers were guilty of the same. This is wrong of course, but does not pose any serious health care concerns to the homeless, however the statistic was later found that at least half of the homeless had experienced discrimination from medical services. Not only is this morally incorrect, but it is also dangerous. One woman explained she was refused help by local health care providers because “the staff thought she was faking it to get inside.” Another respondent explained, “When I got stabbed, the paramedic said there was nothing wrong with me …. He said I just wanted to get out of the rain.” One of the interviewed explained that she felt, “disconnected from the world.” There is no clearer a depiction of feeling invisible than feeling a disconnect from the very world you are a part of.
Aside from judgement and underestimation, the homeless community faces far more than simple unfairness. In fact, the homeless community has been recorded to have been stripped of their inalienable rights as human beings. These rights are, by law, protected and each and every person is entitled to them. To strip someone of their rights as human beings is a federal offense and is viewed as an enormous disrespect, unless of course the victim is a homeless citizen. Published on March 24, 2014, Gale Holland of the LA Times wrote of the mistreatment of homeless citizens in the area known as Skid Row of Los Angeles, California. Holland wrote of the unreasonable seizure of the belongings of the homeless. To clarify, this is the breaking and violation of the United State’s Fourth Amendment; protection against unreasonable search and seizure according to the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In numerous recounts, homeless citizens of Skid Row have had their personally owned items seized and destroyed when left unattended on the streets and sidewalks of Los Angeles. For a homeless person, going to court and having a trial is no easy task, nor a desired one. However despite the unlikelihood and near impossibility of a person without a home proposing a successful case to a court of judges, in 2011 eight Skid Row residents filed for cases. The eight citizens accused city workers of confiscating and dumping their personal possessions with the accompaniment of police officers. The items taken included, “medication, identification, cell phones, toiletries and other belongings.” Despite the current state of the homelessness that these people are living in, they are also being stripped of their inalienable rights as human beings. As if it weren’t hard enough to live on the streets, Humanity, let us take the few belongings these suffering people own and destroy them. No, this is wrong. It is simple bullying mechanics to pick out the weakest targets who cannot fight back and harass them, and this is exactly what is happening. The homeless cannot fight back because of their invisibility in society, and because of this they are an accessible target to anyone. Instead of trying to injure these people more than they have already been, we as a species, we as one united culture should be fighting to help, and to ensure them their inalienable rights. Instead, we continue to broaden the gap between “us and them” and make it increasingly difficult for the homeless to break free of their current condition and live happily as citizens of the world.
So Humanity, I ask you, do you want to be remembered for the way you discriminated those less fortunate than yourself, and struck them farther down into their despair? Or do you want to be remembered for the way that you fought to help every person, no matter their class, gender or ethnicity, achieve equality in this wonderful world that we live in? This world that we claim every man is treated equally. This world where we claim that each person is entitled to their rights as humans. This world which has the potential to be beautiful to everyone, and not just to those fortunate enough to say that they own a home and have a safe place to stay every night. We have the potential to change this, Humanity. We have the potential to give the homeless community worldwide the opportunities they deserve so that we can see all of the successes of tomorrow, and not just the ones who had the path laid in front of them but also the ones who had to cut their own path, and find their own way. You, Humanity, are the difference. Go make one.
With Hope for the Future,
Niko P.
Works Cited
1.http://www.businessinsider.com/rags-to-riches-stories-2011-11#jk-rowling-lived-on-welfare-before-creating-the-harry-potter-franchise-13
2. http://homelessnothopeless813.wordpress.com/homeless-not-hopeless/
3.http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-homeless-confiscation-20140324-story.html#axzz2yENSRCVR
Emily E. : Vietnam Veterans
Vietnam War Veterans
Invisibility: the state of an object that cannot be seen; not visible. Those who served in the Vietnam War can be interpreted as invisible for how they’re often overlooked by society and how they were manipulated and stripped of any opportunities throughout their lifetime. At a young age, men were forcefully drafted into a war that was often looked down upon by U.S. citizens. Throughout the war, many were killed and injured. By the end of the war the number of severely disabled reached, “75,000, of which 23,214 were classified 100% disabled.” As those who served came back to the United States, many were unfit to cope and coexist within our society. Many of those were uneducated as they were drafted out of high school, which disallowed veterans to get back into the workforce. Some of those were deemed mentally unstable, struggling with PTSD and a variety of other traumatic war related illnesses, which ultimately kept these young soldiers from having a normal life. Not only did they have to cope with these illnesses but come home to a country that disapproved and questioned what they were doing in Vietnam. Many became homeless, leaving them to live out on the streets. These men fought for our country and received no recognition for all they did. They are not given the honor and respect deserved. As a country we have neglected the veterans roll that they have played in our countries fight for peace among the rest world. They have stood strong for our country, so we need to stand strong for them.
Bibliography
“Vietnam War Statistics”. Web. May 13, 2014. http://www.mrfa.org/vnstats.htm
Invisibility: the state of an object that cannot be seen; not visible. Those who served in the Vietnam War can be interpreted as invisible for how they’re often overlooked by society and how they were manipulated and stripped of any opportunities throughout their lifetime. At a young age, men were forcefully drafted into a war that was often looked down upon by U.S. citizens. Throughout the war, many were killed and injured. By the end of the war the number of severely disabled reached, “75,000, of which 23,214 were classified 100% disabled.” As those who served came back to the United States, many were unfit to cope and coexist within our society. Many of those were uneducated as they were drafted out of high school, which disallowed veterans to get back into the workforce. Some of those were deemed mentally unstable, struggling with PTSD and a variety of other traumatic war related illnesses, which ultimately kept these young soldiers from having a normal life. Not only did they have to cope with these illnesses but come home to a country that disapproved and questioned what they were doing in Vietnam. Many became homeless, leaving them to live out on the streets. These men fought for our country and received no recognition for all they did. They are not given the honor and respect deserved. As a country we have neglected the veterans roll that they have played in our countries fight for peace among the rest world. They have stood strong for our country, so we need to stand strong for them.
Bibliography
“Vietnam War Statistics”. Web. May 13, 2014. http://www.mrfa.org/vnstats.htm
Niles S. : Immigration
To The Governor Of California,
Mr. Brown, my Name is Niles Sterner. Like many californians I grew up in a community that was heavily dominated by agriculture. Our state, as you are well aware, is the nation's breadbasket. We supply the majority of the nations produce. This has lead California to become one of the wealthiest,most prosperous states in the union, as well as allowing our citizens to enjoy one of the nation's highest standards of living. But there are those among us that do not benefit from this prosperity. You will see these men, and woman any time you drive along one of our states great highways. They labor in the fields, they sweat in the sun, but rarely do we ever acknowledge their existence. The people I refer to are of course the migrant workers who hail from nations south of our border. They come as far as Ecuador, and labor in our fields to make ends meet and hopefully enjoy some part of the great californian dream. But these individuals enjoy none of the benefits that other workers in this state enjoy. There's virtually no path for these people to achieve citizenship, and no protection against that abuse they suffer from their employers. These people need protection. They need our governments assistance. While our national government may be fragmented and insensitive to their plight I surely hope that by bringing this to you attention we can end these undocumented workers social invisibility.
The issue here is not that there are individuals who are coming here illegally, its that we give those who arrive no protection. Immigrants are treated as second class citizens and live in constant fear of possible deportation. Those that have lived within this nation for most of their lives can still be deported just because they entered into our state illegally. These human being are then treated in a sub human fashion by their employers. They are paid under the table, and will never receive social security benefits. Furthermore many of the children who come over illegally do not suffer a mucher kinder fate than their parents. In some areas of our state child labor has become a norm. Children as young as 11 labor in the fields, often forsaking their educations. Education , as you Mr Brown are aware, is the pathway to prosperity, and would could uplift these people out of the poverty they have been forced into. What makes this situation worse is that there is already a proposal that would open up a pathway to legality and citizenship. Nationally its known as the dream act. While our national congress is a quagmire of debate and partisanship, Our state legislature is far more efficient. That is why I believe it should be your prerogative to push our state to adopt a similar bill as the dream act. Within this bill I believe provisions for clemency for individuals already living within the state illegally should be granted, furthermore protections should be put in place for illegal immigrants, and penalties be issued against employers that pay their immigrant employees illegitimately.
Governor Brown, the plight of these people must be addressed. The lack of action on this issue has only further the issue. Immigration is part of the californian experience. Our state began with an immigrant population from the west, and has a long heritage of accepting different cultures. The immigrant population is the heart of California's economy. Without them tilling the filds and pruning the vines this state would not be the economic powerhouse that it is. It’s time to bring this injustice to an end, and bring legitimacy to those already existing within this state. California can only prosper from this decision, and as is said “As California goes so does the nation.”
Sincerely ,
Niles Alexander Sterling Sterner
Mr. Brown, my Name is Niles Sterner. Like many californians I grew up in a community that was heavily dominated by agriculture. Our state, as you are well aware, is the nation's breadbasket. We supply the majority of the nations produce. This has lead California to become one of the wealthiest,most prosperous states in the union, as well as allowing our citizens to enjoy one of the nation's highest standards of living. But there are those among us that do not benefit from this prosperity. You will see these men, and woman any time you drive along one of our states great highways. They labor in the fields, they sweat in the sun, but rarely do we ever acknowledge their existence. The people I refer to are of course the migrant workers who hail from nations south of our border. They come as far as Ecuador, and labor in our fields to make ends meet and hopefully enjoy some part of the great californian dream. But these individuals enjoy none of the benefits that other workers in this state enjoy. There's virtually no path for these people to achieve citizenship, and no protection against that abuse they suffer from their employers. These people need protection. They need our governments assistance. While our national government may be fragmented and insensitive to their plight I surely hope that by bringing this to you attention we can end these undocumented workers social invisibility.
The issue here is not that there are individuals who are coming here illegally, its that we give those who arrive no protection. Immigrants are treated as second class citizens and live in constant fear of possible deportation. Those that have lived within this nation for most of their lives can still be deported just because they entered into our state illegally. These human being are then treated in a sub human fashion by their employers. They are paid under the table, and will never receive social security benefits. Furthermore many of the children who come over illegally do not suffer a mucher kinder fate than their parents. In some areas of our state child labor has become a norm. Children as young as 11 labor in the fields, often forsaking their educations. Education , as you Mr Brown are aware, is the pathway to prosperity, and would could uplift these people out of the poverty they have been forced into. What makes this situation worse is that there is already a proposal that would open up a pathway to legality and citizenship. Nationally its known as the dream act. While our national congress is a quagmire of debate and partisanship, Our state legislature is far more efficient. That is why I believe it should be your prerogative to push our state to adopt a similar bill as the dream act. Within this bill I believe provisions for clemency for individuals already living within the state illegally should be granted, furthermore protections should be put in place for illegal immigrants, and penalties be issued against employers that pay their immigrant employees illegitimately.
Governor Brown, the plight of these people must be addressed. The lack of action on this issue has only further the issue. Immigration is part of the californian experience. Our state began with an immigrant population from the west, and has a long heritage of accepting different cultures. The immigrant population is the heart of California's economy. Without them tilling the filds and pruning the vines this state would not be the economic powerhouse that it is. It’s time to bring this injustice to an end, and bring legitimacy to those already existing within this state. California can only prosper from this decision, and as is said “As California goes so does the nation.”
Sincerely ,
Niles Alexander Sterling Sterner
Jieh M. : The Homeless
May 12, 2014
Helene Schneider
735 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Dear Mayor Schneider,
Hello, my name is Jieh Meinhold and I am a senior from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta. I am writing this letter to address an unfortunate situation in Santa Barbara. I’m sure you know about, and have probably discussed in great detail, the unusually large homeless population present in downtown Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas. It is to my concern that there is rather large segment of the population that looks down upon the homeless. What these men and women don’t seem to understand, is that many of the people living on the street are victims of mental illnesses and other disabilities. I believe that an increased amount of public awareness would change the attitude toward the homeless which would motivate individuals to help and in turn greatly reduce the severity of this problem. A public awareness campaign possibly involving radio/television ads as well as posters and signs would be a worthwhile pursuit especially because Santa Barbara has such a wealthy population and is full of people willing and to help.
Aside from the obvious social issue of human beings being forced to live on the street, there is the less vital, but also important issue of how this problem is having a negative effect on the local economy. A great number of shops and small businesses in downtown Santa Barbara are primarily supported by the large number of tourists that visit because of the beautiful scenes and the clean pleasant atmosphere, but the homeless problem is negatively impacting Santa Barbara’s image and causing people to take their vacation in other cities. With the tourism industry being such an essential part of the local economy, wouldn’t it be a good investment to help the poverty stricken members of city while at the same time boosting our economy? Increased funding to the local homeless shelters would be of great benefit to our community.
Another reason that should be addressed is because many of the men and women who currently live on the street, could be valuable members of society, but are instead struggling to feed themselves on the street. Many of these people just need a little push to get them back on their feet so they can rejoin the workforce and once again be a benefit to the community.
Sincerely,
Jieh M.
Helene Schneider
735 Anacapa Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Dear Mayor Schneider,
Hello, my name is Jieh Meinhold and I am a senior from Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta. I am writing this letter to address an unfortunate situation in Santa Barbara. I’m sure you know about, and have probably discussed in great detail, the unusually large homeless population present in downtown Santa Barbara and the surrounding areas. It is to my concern that there is rather large segment of the population that looks down upon the homeless. What these men and women don’t seem to understand, is that many of the people living on the street are victims of mental illnesses and other disabilities. I believe that an increased amount of public awareness would change the attitude toward the homeless which would motivate individuals to help and in turn greatly reduce the severity of this problem. A public awareness campaign possibly involving radio/television ads as well as posters and signs would be a worthwhile pursuit especially because Santa Barbara has such a wealthy population and is full of people willing and to help.
Aside from the obvious social issue of human beings being forced to live on the street, there is the less vital, but also important issue of how this problem is having a negative effect on the local economy. A great number of shops and small businesses in downtown Santa Barbara are primarily supported by the large number of tourists that visit because of the beautiful scenes and the clean pleasant atmosphere, but the homeless problem is negatively impacting Santa Barbara’s image and causing people to take their vacation in other cities. With the tourism industry being such an essential part of the local economy, wouldn’t it be a good investment to help the poverty stricken members of city while at the same time boosting our economy? Increased funding to the local homeless shelters would be of great benefit to our community.
Another reason that should be addressed is because many of the men and women who currently live on the street, could be valuable members of society, but are instead struggling to feed themselves on the street. Many of these people just need a little push to get them back on their feet so they can rejoin the workforce and once again be a benefit to the community.
Sincerely,
Jieh M.
Jonathan D. : Foster Children
Dear Humanity,
How would you like to spend 15 months of your life in a foster home? Or not be able to obtain your legal license until the age of 19? What about always having to sit in the back seat of any vehicle you were transported in? Do these questions sound like things a normal person would willingly do? That's something I asked myself when I discovered that these were only a few of the many restrictions placed on fostered children in America. While these foster rules are state-based many states have very similar rules for reasons unknown. The fact of the matter is that the youth of America in foster homes have a much smaller chance of becoming fully functioning, contributing adults to society. If Humanity would recognize these orphaned youths for the neglected, invisibly group that they are, then they definitely would be better off.
Why is it that America publicly advertises the children in need in Africa, when there are still hundreds of thousands of children in our own country who are in need? This to me isn't right at all and is in fact very troubling. There is currently about half a million children in the foster care system and about 20,000 get age-released each year while another 250,000 get put in. Studies show that out of the 20,000 that get age-released, approximately 1 in 4 will be incarcerated within 2 years and about 1 in 5 will be homeless sometime after the age of 18. In addition, only 58 percent obtain their high school diploma by age 19, compared to the national average of 87 percent for non-foster youth. These statistics are proof that the current foster home rules and living standards are detrimental to the development of the orphaned youth in America.
If more light was shed on the true state of our foster care system, more kids would be adopted giving them a permanent, stable home in which they truly need. One thing that all of us including myself take for granted is the warm love from our family and the permanency of our homes. Those are 2 things that simply cannot be replicated within a foster home. If more kids were adopted, then based on the studies aforementioned, more kids would graduate high school make a higher percentage of our nations population educated creating more fully functioning members of society. The total number of vagrants in America would be slightly decreased which would make an impact on that issue in society. Also, the number of citizens in the criminal system, although slim, would diminish.
I too was blind to the mental strain that being in a system with no parents was like, don't make the same mistake I did and assume that everything is alright because it isn't. These may seem like small fixes to a world with much larger problems, but at the end of the day giving a loving home to a child is what happens when an orphan gets adopted. Isnt that what’s important? Isn’t that reason enough to end the invisibility of foster kids?
Sincerely,
Jonathan D.
How would you like to spend 15 months of your life in a foster home? Or not be able to obtain your legal license until the age of 19? What about always having to sit in the back seat of any vehicle you were transported in? Do these questions sound like things a normal person would willingly do? That's something I asked myself when I discovered that these were only a few of the many restrictions placed on fostered children in America. While these foster rules are state-based many states have very similar rules for reasons unknown. The fact of the matter is that the youth of America in foster homes have a much smaller chance of becoming fully functioning, contributing adults to society. If Humanity would recognize these orphaned youths for the neglected, invisibly group that they are, then they definitely would be better off.
Why is it that America publicly advertises the children in need in Africa, when there are still hundreds of thousands of children in our own country who are in need? This to me isn't right at all and is in fact very troubling. There is currently about half a million children in the foster care system and about 20,000 get age-released each year while another 250,000 get put in. Studies show that out of the 20,000 that get age-released, approximately 1 in 4 will be incarcerated within 2 years and about 1 in 5 will be homeless sometime after the age of 18. In addition, only 58 percent obtain their high school diploma by age 19, compared to the national average of 87 percent for non-foster youth. These statistics are proof that the current foster home rules and living standards are detrimental to the development of the orphaned youth in America.
If more light was shed on the true state of our foster care system, more kids would be adopted giving them a permanent, stable home in which they truly need. One thing that all of us including myself take for granted is the warm love from our family and the permanency of our homes. Those are 2 things that simply cannot be replicated within a foster home. If more kids were adopted, then based on the studies aforementioned, more kids would graduate high school make a higher percentage of our nations population educated creating more fully functioning members of society. The total number of vagrants in America would be slightly decreased which would make an impact on that issue in society. Also, the number of citizens in the criminal system, although slim, would diminish.
I too was blind to the mental strain that being in a system with no parents was like, don't make the same mistake I did and assume that everything is alright because it isn't. These may seem like small fixes to a world with much larger problems, but at the end of the day giving a loving home to a child is what happens when an orphan gets adopted. Isnt that what’s important? Isn’t that reason enough to end the invisibility of foster kids?
Sincerely,
Jonathan D.
Timothy M. : Global Warming
Dear Humanity,
As you know, the world today is made less sophisticated through the employment of resources such as the burning of fossil fuels in our industries to rapidly produce products to sell making it a quick and efficient method of producing goods. Yes, this method is of manufacturing is tremendously effective and simply, but only the human race is benefited from it. Despite the efficiency of that it brings, it also has its own draw-backs. The burning of fossil fuels is the most major contributor to global warming and pollution. When fossil fuels are burnt for fuel it emits greenhouse gasses to into the atmosphere making changing our climate to be warmer and causing our air quality to erode. A group that advocates to end this conflict is the Natural Resource Defense Council. The Natural Resource Defense Council strive to stop the burning of fossil fuels for the sake of our planet’s health, but of course there are a great deal of people who not fully informed of the potential dangers that it can cause in the future. Because of this, organizations such as the Natural Resource Defense Council are often neglected. The lack of knowledge cloakes the cause of ending the burning of fossil fuels making it invisible and should be made visible for various reasons.
A reason why is the greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide is the primary element that contributes to global warming damages the ocean and the ocean life. The warmer climate will cause the ocean’s temperature to rise increasing the power of tropical storms making them more destructive. One example of this Hurricane Katrina in the August of 2005 which cost the economy $125 billion. The ocean absorbs a third of the carbon dioxide that is produced everyday forming carbonic acid in the ocean. Carbonic acid causes the acidity of the water to rise depleting the seawater of their carbonic ions.Without carbonic ions, the shells of sea creatures will erode making their survival rate drop and it will also affect the survival of coral. The carbon dioxide infected ocean water can also kill embryos, handicap sea creatures of their senses andchange the food web. When the ocean is hurt, everything in it is also hurt. Reducing the burning of fossil fuels will also make our air substantially cleaner. About 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide is emitted from electrical power plants in the United States alone. The NRDC has proposed a plan to cut down pollution which will reduce existing power plant emissions by 30% by the year 2020. The climate and energy experts of the NRDC has analyzed that the plan will increase investment in cost-effective energy efficiency lowering the cost of compliances and electricity bills. Another vital benefit of this plan is that it will help save the lives of many by reducing the chances of asthma attacks and other respiratory conditions. This proposal has the potential to better our future and assist the Earth in recovering.
The changing climate is also threatening our main sources of fresh drinking water such as
lakes and rivers. To remedy this, the NRDC experts are promoting water efficiency strategies to decrease the amounts of water that are wasted. They are also preparing cities, states , and countries from anticipated water challenges that will soon arise from the changing climate. Due to the climate change, droughts are more likely to occur which will magnify the risk for water shortages globally. The sea level will also rise because of melting ice caps which lead to flooding. The changing climate will destroy our source of water endangering humanity and most of all the Earth.
Global warming not only affects us, but everything around us. We must stop global warming
before it becomes an irreversible conflict that will bring great calamity to the planet. Do this
not for you, but for the future generations to come and for the life of the planet. In order to heal the Earth, we must first make this cause visible to the public to make them understand the dire situation that humanity is in and what we can do to get out of it.
Sincerely,
Timothy M.
As you know, the world today is made less sophisticated through the employment of resources such as the burning of fossil fuels in our industries to rapidly produce products to sell making it a quick and efficient method of producing goods. Yes, this method is of manufacturing is tremendously effective and simply, but only the human race is benefited from it. Despite the efficiency of that it brings, it also has its own draw-backs. The burning of fossil fuels is the most major contributor to global warming and pollution. When fossil fuels are burnt for fuel it emits greenhouse gasses to into the atmosphere making changing our climate to be warmer and causing our air quality to erode. A group that advocates to end this conflict is the Natural Resource Defense Council. The Natural Resource Defense Council strive to stop the burning of fossil fuels for the sake of our planet’s health, but of course there are a great deal of people who not fully informed of the potential dangers that it can cause in the future. Because of this, organizations such as the Natural Resource Defense Council are often neglected. The lack of knowledge cloakes the cause of ending the burning of fossil fuels making it invisible and should be made visible for various reasons.
A reason why is the greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide is the primary element that contributes to global warming damages the ocean and the ocean life. The warmer climate will cause the ocean’s temperature to rise increasing the power of tropical storms making them more destructive. One example of this Hurricane Katrina in the August of 2005 which cost the economy $125 billion. The ocean absorbs a third of the carbon dioxide that is produced everyday forming carbonic acid in the ocean. Carbonic acid causes the acidity of the water to rise depleting the seawater of their carbonic ions.Without carbonic ions, the shells of sea creatures will erode making their survival rate drop and it will also affect the survival of coral. The carbon dioxide infected ocean water can also kill embryos, handicap sea creatures of their senses andchange the food web. When the ocean is hurt, everything in it is also hurt. Reducing the burning of fossil fuels will also make our air substantially cleaner. About 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide is emitted from electrical power plants in the United States alone. The NRDC has proposed a plan to cut down pollution which will reduce existing power plant emissions by 30% by the year 2020. The climate and energy experts of the NRDC has analyzed that the plan will increase investment in cost-effective energy efficiency lowering the cost of compliances and electricity bills. Another vital benefit of this plan is that it will help save the lives of many by reducing the chances of asthma attacks and other respiratory conditions. This proposal has the potential to better our future and assist the Earth in recovering.
The changing climate is also threatening our main sources of fresh drinking water such as
lakes and rivers. To remedy this, the NRDC experts are promoting water efficiency strategies to decrease the amounts of water that are wasted. They are also preparing cities, states , and countries from anticipated water challenges that will soon arise from the changing climate. Due to the climate change, droughts are more likely to occur which will magnify the risk for water shortages globally. The sea level will also rise because of melting ice caps which lead to flooding. The changing climate will destroy our source of water endangering humanity and most of all the Earth.
Global warming not only affects us, but everything around us. We must stop global warming
before it becomes an irreversible conflict that will bring great calamity to the planet. Do this
not for you, but for the future generations to come and for the life of the planet. In order to heal the Earth, we must first make this cause visible to the public to make them understand the dire situation that humanity is in and what we can do to get out of it.
Sincerely,
Timothy M.
Eli S. : The Homeless
Helene Schneider
Mayor of Santa Barbara
735 Anacapa St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Dear Helene Schneider,
I am writing to you today in hopes that I can persuade you to take action against the problem at hand. Of course, I know that you are a very busy woman and I value your time, so I will do my best to be brief.
It’s no secret that our beautiful city of Santa Barbara is home to many wealthy Americans. Likewise, it is of course a vastly popular location for tourists and their families. However, Santa Barbara is also “home” to many people living on the streets.
I will begin with the obvious moral and ethical reasons why this is a problem that requires immediate attention. First, and I know it sounds line a poor excuse for an argument, but its just plain wrong! Homeless people populate almost every street in Santa Barbara. Obviously there are shelters and soup kitchens acting to help these individuals, but the simple fact is that it is just not enough. People everyday are left hungry and cold. Every night I walk the beautiful streets of Santa Barbara seeing helpless men and women shivering under a paper-thin excuse for a blanket. Along with this poor excuse for a humane society, comes bystanders that do nothing. The countless cars that drive by the man and his dog on the corner of Camino Real. The hundreds of people that walk by without turning a check to the single mother playing her guitar in an effort to make enough money to buy her child dinner. Can we really sit by and do nothing while these humans struggle to survive?
Secondly, many of these homeless people are veterans. In a study conducted by MoveForHunger.org, it was found that almost 15 percent of homeless people are veterans. These are people that have risked their lives for the freedoms of this country and for the freedoms of everyday Americans who can sleep in a warm bed at night. They have fought for us, isn’t it time that we fight for them?
Third, and lastly, seeing a homeless man on the side of the street is not relatively “attractive.” On the contrary, the beautiful city and beaches of Santa Barbara are more than pleasing to the eye. I would argue, and I hope that you might agree, that the two do not match. Therefore, I believe that we should increase our efforts to get homeless people off the streets and into stable shelters with sufficient food and clothing.
For too long we have ignored those who need our help. For too long we have focused on our needs above those of us who cannot strive for anything but survival. Their cries for help remain unheard, and they remain invisible. It is time to make a change Mrs. Schneider, and I believe that you are the one to do so.
Sincerely,
One Concerned Citizen
Mayor of Santa Barbara
735 Anacapa St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Dear Helene Schneider,
I am writing to you today in hopes that I can persuade you to take action against the problem at hand. Of course, I know that you are a very busy woman and I value your time, so I will do my best to be brief.
It’s no secret that our beautiful city of Santa Barbara is home to many wealthy Americans. Likewise, it is of course a vastly popular location for tourists and their families. However, Santa Barbara is also “home” to many people living on the streets.
I will begin with the obvious moral and ethical reasons why this is a problem that requires immediate attention. First, and I know it sounds line a poor excuse for an argument, but its just plain wrong! Homeless people populate almost every street in Santa Barbara. Obviously there are shelters and soup kitchens acting to help these individuals, but the simple fact is that it is just not enough. People everyday are left hungry and cold. Every night I walk the beautiful streets of Santa Barbara seeing helpless men and women shivering under a paper-thin excuse for a blanket. Along with this poor excuse for a humane society, comes bystanders that do nothing. The countless cars that drive by the man and his dog on the corner of Camino Real. The hundreds of people that walk by without turning a check to the single mother playing her guitar in an effort to make enough money to buy her child dinner. Can we really sit by and do nothing while these humans struggle to survive?
Secondly, many of these homeless people are veterans. In a study conducted by MoveForHunger.org, it was found that almost 15 percent of homeless people are veterans. These are people that have risked their lives for the freedoms of this country and for the freedoms of everyday Americans who can sleep in a warm bed at night. They have fought for us, isn’t it time that we fight for them?
Third, and lastly, seeing a homeless man on the side of the street is not relatively “attractive.” On the contrary, the beautiful city and beaches of Santa Barbara are more than pleasing to the eye. I would argue, and I hope that you might agree, that the two do not match. Therefore, I believe that we should increase our efforts to get homeless people off the streets and into stable shelters with sufficient food and clothing.
For too long we have ignored those who need our help. For too long we have focused on our needs above those of us who cannot strive for anything but survival. Their cries for help remain unheard, and they remain invisible. It is time to make a change Mrs. Schneider, and I believe that you are the one to do so.
Sincerely,
One Concerned Citizen
Emma T. : The Homeless
Dear Santa Barbara County,
There are numerous different groups in the Santa Barbara County that are considered invisible. One of these groups is the homeless population. There are 1,143 homeless people in Santa Barbara alone and this number grows every year. The County of Santa Barbara’s lack of action has only fueled the fire to the ever growing homeless invisibility. The homeless are considered invisible for a couple of reasons. First, people walking down the street refuse to even look at them because the homeless person might ask for help or, in a worst case scenario; they may hurt the person walking by. The second reason, the county refuses to take action to help them. Without the recognition that there is a problem there will be no solution. The combination of these two reasons over many years has caused the homeless to go unattended to by the majority of the Santa Barbara County community. Homeless invisibility should be ended because each of them has their own unique, tragic story, they are human beings and should be treated that way and just a little bit of help can make a difference.
Many of the people living on the streets have a unique story of how they got there. They did not wake up one morning and decide they did not want a roof over their head or food on their plate so they started living on the streets. They fought for the life they wanted, but lost due to many different complications. Seventy-seven percent of these people without a home are suffering from an untreated mental illness. On the streets they cannot get the proper help they need. It is the community’s job to get them medication so they can turn their life around. People with mental illnesses aren’t the only people on the streets; there are more than two hundred homeless veterans in Santa Barbara. These people have fought for their country and put their life’s on the line and in return Santa Barbara County does very little to help them. Santa Barbara needs to honor what these veterans did and give them a second chance at a happy life.
There is a distinct difference between helping the homeless and enabling. Santa Barbara County should help, not enable. This would consist of giving them what they need to stay off the streets such as food and water. Handing money to the homeless is enabling and encouraging them not to get a job because they will get money doing nothing on the streets. Many people believe that any help in enabling, but this is incorrect. Just enough help to get them on their feet is all that is needed to make a difference. Ending invisibility will allow more people to be aware of the issue. This will get more people involved with helping the homeless.
Every single person living of the streets is a human being and should be treated like one. They should be given the opportunities to better their lives. It is unrealistic to think that they can improve their own lives without any help. In every situation just a tiny bit of help can make a difference in their life. Santa Barbara County, and the United States as a whole, is a very rich, affluent area. A change in the homeless population in the United States can affect the whole world. Everyone will be aware of the issue and will take steps to addressing it.
The homeless population is a fast growing issue that must be stopped. By bringing awareness and ending the invisibility, Santa Barbara County can improve their lives for the better. There is no better time to start this movement then now. Make the change.
Sincerely,
Emma T.
There are numerous different groups in the Santa Barbara County that are considered invisible. One of these groups is the homeless population. There are 1,143 homeless people in Santa Barbara alone and this number grows every year. The County of Santa Barbara’s lack of action has only fueled the fire to the ever growing homeless invisibility. The homeless are considered invisible for a couple of reasons. First, people walking down the street refuse to even look at them because the homeless person might ask for help or, in a worst case scenario; they may hurt the person walking by. The second reason, the county refuses to take action to help them. Without the recognition that there is a problem there will be no solution. The combination of these two reasons over many years has caused the homeless to go unattended to by the majority of the Santa Barbara County community. Homeless invisibility should be ended because each of them has their own unique, tragic story, they are human beings and should be treated that way and just a little bit of help can make a difference.
Many of the people living on the streets have a unique story of how they got there. They did not wake up one morning and decide they did not want a roof over their head or food on their plate so they started living on the streets. They fought for the life they wanted, but lost due to many different complications. Seventy-seven percent of these people without a home are suffering from an untreated mental illness. On the streets they cannot get the proper help they need. It is the community’s job to get them medication so they can turn their life around. People with mental illnesses aren’t the only people on the streets; there are more than two hundred homeless veterans in Santa Barbara. These people have fought for their country and put their life’s on the line and in return Santa Barbara County does very little to help them. Santa Barbara needs to honor what these veterans did and give them a second chance at a happy life.
There is a distinct difference between helping the homeless and enabling. Santa Barbara County should help, not enable. This would consist of giving them what they need to stay off the streets such as food and water. Handing money to the homeless is enabling and encouraging them not to get a job because they will get money doing nothing on the streets. Many people believe that any help in enabling, but this is incorrect. Just enough help to get them on their feet is all that is needed to make a difference. Ending invisibility will allow more people to be aware of the issue. This will get more people involved with helping the homeless.
Every single person living of the streets is a human being and should be treated like one. They should be given the opportunities to better their lives. It is unrealistic to think that they can improve their own lives without any help. In every situation just a tiny bit of help can make a difference in their life. Santa Barbara County, and the United States as a whole, is a very rich, affluent area. A change in the homeless population in the United States can affect the whole world. Everyone will be aware of the issue and will take steps to addressing it.
The homeless population is a fast growing issue that must be stopped. By bringing awareness and ending the invisibility, Santa Barbara County can improve their lives for the better. There is no better time to start this movement then now. Make the change.
Sincerely,
Emma T.
Sara F. : The Homeless
Dear California,
The cities in the US with the highest amount of homeless people are: 1. New York City- 64,060
2. Los Angeles- 53,798
3. Seattle-9,016
4. San Diego-8,879 5. San Jose-7,631
The cities with the highest percentages of unsheltered homeless 1. Fresno-81%
2. Los Angeles-76%
3. San Jose-74.4%
4. Long Beach-66%
5. San Francisco-61.6%
Homelessness is evidently a huge issue in our country as well as worldwide, but why is it that California is home to three of the top five cities with the highest amount of homeless people and accounts for the top five cities with the highest amount of unsheltered homeless people? Its because everywhere and seems to be particularly in California, homeless people are not seen or cared about, they are invisible. This group or any group of people don't deserve to feel invisible. One reason these people should not be invisible is because in many situations they try to better their own lives but a lot of times they need our help or at least support to make that happen. When we walk by them on the street the majority of us will just walk right past and ignore them, making them feel invisible. But even if we as humanity gave them a smile as we passed by, it could make their day and make motivate them to help themselves and want to turn their lives
around. Another reason we should not make this people feel invisible is because it is safely assumed that none of them wanted this for themselves. When you are little, no one dreamed of growing up and being homeless or worse, living on the streets without shelter. So why should we make these people who probably have no real family, feel unwanted even by strangers? Some people have different political views on these kind of issues and that is fine, not everybody needs to share money with the homeless people they pass by, but I think by human nature we should at the very least make them feel excepted amongst the society they live in. Finally, another reason to end the invisibility of this group is purely in the numbers. For a group to make up a sufficient amount of the population and been seen almost everywhere, it does not make any sense that they are invisible. They may not have as much money or maybe they made some bad decisions along the way but at the end of the day they are still citizens of our country, but more important they are still people. So I say that we who are not invisible in society embrace and appreciate that we are seen and make a change for those who are not.
Thank You,
Sara F.
The cities in the US with the highest amount of homeless people are: 1. New York City- 64,060
2. Los Angeles- 53,798
3. Seattle-9,016
4. San Diego-8,879 5. San Jose-7,631
The cities with the highest percentages of unsheltered homeless 1. Fresno-81%
2. Los Angeles-76%
3. San Jose-74.4%
4. Long Beach-66%
5. San Francisco-61.6%
Homelessness is evidently a huge issue in our country as well as worldwide, but why is it that California is home to three of the top five cities with the highest amount of homeless people and accounts for the top five cities with the highest amount of unsheltered homeless people? Its because everywhere and seems to be particularly in California, homeless people are not seen or cared about, they are invisible. This group or any group of people don't deserve to feel invisible. One reason these people should not be invisible is because in many situations they try to better their own lives but a lot of times they need our help or at least support to make that happen. When we walk by them on the street the majority of us will just walk right past and ignore them, making them feel invisible. But even if we as humanity gave them a smile as we passed by, it could make their day and make motivate them to help themselves and want to turn their lives
around. Another reason we should not make this people feel invisible is because it is safely assumed that none of them wanted this for themselves. When you are little, no one dreamed of growing up and being homeless or worse, living on the streets without shelter. So why should we make these people who probably have no real family, feel unwanted even by strangers? Some people have different political views on these kind of issues and that is fine, not everybody needs to share money with the homeless people they pass by, but I think by human nature we should at the very least make them feel excepted amongst the society they live in. Finally, another reason to end the invisibility of this group is purely in the numbers. For a group to make up a sufficient amount of the population and been seen almost everywhere, it does not make any sense that they are invisible. They may not have as much money or maybe they made some bad decisions along the way but at the end of the day they are still citizens of our country, but more important they are still people. So I say that we who are not invisible in society embrace and appreciate that we are seen and make a change for those who are not.
Thank You,
Sara F.
Alexander G. : Amazonian Natives
13 May 2014
Dear Brazil,
I am writing to you today concerning the Amazonian natives that are living in the Amazon Rainforest who are suffering from “invisibility”. The natives are suffering from “invisibility” because major companies such as Mitsubishi, Georgia Pacific, Texaco, and Unocal, are destroying the land the natives are living on for oil and gas, logging, and farming and are not even giving a second thought of what is going to happen to the Amazonians when the Amazon Rainforest is gone. Five centuries ago there were over ten million natives living in the rainforest and since deforestation started, there are less than two hundred thousand natives that remain today. The Amazon Rainforest is 2.124 million square miles and of that, twenty percent of the rainforest has been cut down and this is causing the animals and plants that live in those areas to be destroyed which causes some of the Amazonian tribes to die because they are losing their natural resources that they need to survive. There are also 60-100 tribes that have been able to stay isolated from the outside world and these are the tribes that are being affected the most because they are not receiving help or shelter from any outside aide. In these tribes, there are medicine men and shamans that have thousands of years of irreplaceable knowledge about the medicine plants that grow in the rainforest and if these shamans die, this knowledge will disappear from the Earth. In the eyes of these companies, the Amazonians are considered “disposable” because the companies do not care what happens to the natives and this is another reason how the natives are “invisible” because the only thing that the companies see are the resources that are located in the Amazon Rainforest. If these natives of these tribes die, a whole civilization will be wiped off the surface of the Earth. I hope these arguments help put an end to the “invisibility” of the Amazonian natives and help bring awareness to what they are going through and help stop deforestation.
Sincerely,
Alexander G.
Dear Brazil,
I am writing to you today concerning the Amazonian natives that are living in the Amazon Rainforest who are suffering from “invisibility”. The natives are suffering from “invisibility” because major companies such as Mitsubishi, Georgia Pacific, Texaco, and Unocal, are destroying the land the natives are living on for oil and gas, logging, and farming and are not even giving a second thought of what is going to happen to the Amazonians when the Amazon Rainforest is gone. Five centuries ago there were over ten million natives living in the rainforest and since deforestation started, there are less than two hundred thousand natives that remain today. The Amazon Rainforest is 2.124 million square miles and of that, twenty percent of the rainforest has been cut down and this is causing the animals and plants that live in those areas to be destroyed which causes some of the Amazonian tribes to die because they are losing their natural resources that they need to survive. There are also 60-100 tribes that have been able to stay isolated from the outside world and these are the tribes that are being affected the most because they are not receiving help or shelter from any outside aide. In these tribes, there are medicine men and shamans that have thousands of years of irreplaceable knowledge about the medicine plants that grow in the rainforest and if these shamans die, this knowledge will disappear from the Earth. In the eyes of these companies, the Amazonians are considered “disposable” because the companies do not care what happens to the natives and this is another reason how the natives are “invisible” because the only thing that the companies see are the resources that are located in the Amazon Rainforest. If these natives of these tribes die, a whole civilization will be wiped off the surface of the Earth. I hope these arguments help put an end to the “invisibility” of the Amazonian natives and help bring awareness to what they are going through and help stop deforestation.
Sincerely,
Alexander G.
Helena L. : Asian Stereotypes
Dear __________________,
In America, we have a variety of different races and cultures that bring us together, forming anew and different kind of culture. However, sometimes the stereotypes involved with certain races mask the person as an individual and associate them with untrue sayings or tendencies. Although this group may often be discussed about, I truly believe that Asians are often heavily associated with stereotypes and cause them to become invisible as individuals. Oftentimes, people base their first impressions on stereotypes and fail to see the real person inside. They grow up listening and hearing about Asian stereotypes and even though they do not purposefully intend to listen to these stereotypes, it still influences their way of thinking.
Social aspects definitely heavily contribute to the stereotypes that circulate around social circles. According to the stereotypes, asians are nerds. They have strict parents and are grounded when they do not receive good grades. They wear glasses. They have no social life. There are so many stereotypes about asians out there and some of them are outrageous. While at the root, these stereotypes do contain some parts of the truth, it is ridiculously exaggerated. However, I do not believe that having the stereotypes is the main problem. I believe the most offending aspect is that people joke around using those stereotypes, such as asking if we have all A's or mimicking a "chinese accent." In addition, by joking around with asians with these stereotypes, asking us if it is true or not, it makes us feel inferior as we are being mocked. As a result, these stereotypes mask each person's individuality and uniqueness by bunching us together within one stereotype which may or may not be true. Additionally, these stereotypes cause expectations. Because asians have "good grades," we are expected to have all A's, yet when we receive one B, others make it a big deal as if something unimaginable happened. They fail to consider how we might feel about being teased for getting an average grade. Other daily difficulties include being made fun of our physical attributes such as our "Asian eyes," especially when others begin
to pull their eyes to make them "look Asian." Other times, we are even teased about being short. Those offending remarks and gestures truly tear at our pride and dignity.
What I want others to know is that it is true that some of those stereotypes are true to a degree, people fail to recognize the degree of exaggeration. Yes, it is true that we expect ourselves to do our best, however that does not mean that we receive all A's. We are not always "smart" because no one is perfect and excels in everything and every subject. We can be athletic because it is not true that we are locked at home studying all day. Our parents can be strict, but not to the point of acting like a tyrant. Many of our parents are immigrants and therefore do have an accent, however it is offending to mock
that accent in front of us. Most of all, we do not all look the same. What I want is for people to see us as individuals. Even though we share the same ethnicity, in the end, we are all our own individuals with our own unique traits. No one is physically and mentally identical.
I wish for people to know that although we may awkwardly chuckle when others cast a
stereotypical joke, while it raises their own self esteem, it brings down our self esteem.
When mocked for being hardworking, rather than feeling proud of ourselves, we feel dejected. When we are made fun of our appearances, it becomes hard to lift our heads. Perhaps it would be nice for people to think for a second how we may feel before actually making fun of asians. I believe that the subject of race and racism is a difficult subject. We are so engrossed in being equal and trying so hard to stay away from being racist that in some perspective, we only end up where we started. For example, on college applications and state tests, students are required to state their ethnicity. It is understandable to want an equal diversity on a college campus however, by considering race and ethnicity are we not, to some degree, being racist? I don't believe that racism and the stereotypes will disappear altogether, however I only ask for people to be a bit more sensitive and considerate when approaching such subject matter and hopefully avoiding such stereotypes to categorize Asians as a race.
Sincerely,
Helena L.
In America, we have a variety of different races and cultures that bring us together, forming anew and different kind of culture. However, sometimes the stereotypes involved with certain races mask the person as an individual and associate them with untrue sayings or tendencies. Although this group may often be discussed about, I truly believe that Asians are often heavily associated with stereotypes and cause them to become invisible as individuals. Oftentimes, people base their first impressions on stereotypes and fail to see the real person inside. They grow up listening and hearing about Asian stereotypes and even though they do not purposefully intend to listen to these stereotypes, it still influences their way of thinking.
Social aspects definitely heavily contribute to the stereotypes that circulate around social circles. According to the stereotypes, asians are nerds. They have strict parents and are grounded when they do not receive good grades. They wear glasses. They have no social life. There are so many stereotypes about asians out there and some of them are outrageous. While at the root, these stereotypes do contain some parts of the truth, it is ridiculously exaggerated. However, I do not believe that having the stereotypes is the main problem. I believe the most offending aspect is that people joke around using those stereotypes, such as asking if we have all A's or mimicking a "chinese accent." In addition, by joking around with asians with these stereotypes, asking us if it is true or not, it makes us feel inferior as we are being mocked. As a result, these stereotypes mask each person's individuality and uniqueness by bunching us together within one stereotype which may or may not be true. Additionally, these stereotypes cause expectations. Because asians have "good grades," we are expected to have all A's, yet when we receive one B, others make it a big deal as if something unimaginable happened. They fail to consider how we might feel about being teased for getting an average grade. Other daily difficulties include being made fun of our physical attributes such as our "Asian eyes," especially when others begin
to pull their eyes to make them "look Asian." Other times, we are even teased about being short. Those offending remarks and gestures truly tear at our pride and dignity.
What I want others to know is that it is true that some of those stereotypes are true to a degree, people fail to recognize the degree of exaggeration. Yes, it is true that we expect ourselves to do our best, however that does not mean that we receive all A's. We are not always "smart" because no one is perfect and excels in everything and every subject. We can be athletic because it is not true that we are locked at home studying all day. Our parents can be strict, but not to the point of acting like a tyrant. Many of our parents are immigrants and therefore do have an accent, however it is offending to mock
that accent in front of us. Most of all, we do not all look the same. What I want is for people to see us as individuals. Even though we share the same ethnicity, in the end, we are all our own individuals with our own unique traits. No one is physically and mentally identical.
I wish for people to know that although we may awkwardly chuckle when others cast a
stereotypical joke, while it raises their own self esteem, it brings down our self esteem.
When mocked for being hardworking, rather than feeling proud of ourselves, we feel dejected. When we are made fun of our appearances, it becomes hard to lift our heads. Perhaps it would be nice for people to think for a second how we may feel before actually making fun of asians. I believe that the subject of race and racism is a difficult subject. We are so engrossed in being equal and trying so hard to stay away from being racist that in some perspective, we only end up where we started. For example, on college applications and state tests, students are required to state their ethnicity. It is understandable to want an equal diversity on a college campus however, by considering race and ethnicity are we not, to some degree, being racist? I don't believe that racism and the stereotypes will disappear altogether, however I only ask for people to be a bit more sensitive and considerate when approaching such subject matter and hopefully avoiding such stereotypes to categorize Asians as a race.
Sincerely,
Helena L.
Tyler B.
Dear Society,
I have never faced the injustice of being treated as sub-human. I have never myself tasted the bitterness of segregation and discrimination. I have never been forced to accept that the color of my skin or my sexual orientation will limit what I do with my life. But I have been made to believe that who I am to be should not in fact be my own person.
As an identical twin, most of the attention directed towards me has actually been directed towards my existence as a twin; as a carbon copy of another individual.I have found that my existence is acknowledged most when my twin brother and I actively coordinate and do what we can to build ourselves into a single identity. To be seen we hide our personalities and preferences under matching clothes and abandon our own thoughts to fit into the stereotype of two people living their lives in complete, amusing synchronicity. In everyday practice, the actuality of being a twin is reduced to casual jokes and petty inquiries about whether or not we can communicate telepathically. No respect towards whom the individual may be or wants to be is shown in these seemingly harmless practices.
In fact these types of shallow, trivial remarks are what wear twins down, beating and bludgeoning into submission their sense of individuality and pushing them further into pursuing only the likeness of one another. We become invisible, but not in the most traditional of ways. Instead of being invisible because of race or sexual orientation or economic or social status, twins are seen as hybrids of one another and, consequentially, are only half seen.
We lose our chance to be ourselves. We lose our chance to create ourselves. Instead, we are forced to conform to a mold set by a society that expects us to want to be the same as one another. Society forces those who happened to split on an embryonic level to identify with and as another person whom they had no choice in being born with.
T his shameful and tiring practice needs to end. It’s time to end the jokes, the expectations, and the pressure. It’s time to let twins be siblings, not copies of one another. It’s time to let twins be themselves, not each other.
Sincerely,
Tyler B.
I have never faced the injustice of being treated as sub-human. I have never myself tasted the bitterness of segregation and discrimination. I have never been forced to accept that the color of my skin or my sexual orientation will limit what I do with my life. But I have been made to believe that who I am to be should not in fact be my own person.
As an identical twin, most of the attention directed towards me has actually been directed towards my existence as a twin; as a carbon copy of another individual.I have found that my existence is acknowledged most when my twin brother and I actively coordinate and do what we can to build ourselves into a single identity. To be seen we hide our personalities and preferences under matching clothes and abandon our own thoughts to fit into the stereotype of two people living their lives in complete, amusing synchronicity. In everyday practice, the actuality of being a twin is reduced to casual jokes and petty inquiries about whether or not we can communicate telepathically. No respect towards whom the individual may be or wants to be is shown in these seemingly harmless practices.
In fact these types of shallow, trivial remarks are what wear twins down, beating and bludgeoning into submission their sense of individuality and pushing them further into pursuing only the likeness of one another. We become invisible, but not in the most traditional of ways. Instead of being invisible because of race or sexual orientation or economic or social status, twins are seen as hybrids of one another and, consequentially, are only half seen.
We lose our chance to be ourselves. We lose our chance to create ourselves. Instead, we are forced to conform to a mold set by a society that expects us to want to be the same as one another. Society forces those who happened to split on an embryonic level to identify with and as another person whom they had no choice in being born with.
T his shameful and tiring practice needs to end. It’s time to end the jokes, the expectations, and the pressure. It’s time to let twins be siblings, not copies of one another. It’s time to let twins be themselves, not each other.
Sincerely,
Tyler B.
Armando V. : "Vice"
Dear Mr. Murdoch
I need to share something with you that you have been neglecting over the past two decades. It is the Vice organization. Murdoch you continuously reject to televise the dolorous truth of the world and all of its inhumane acts on society. However instead of displaying the truth you blindfold America with yellow journalism on Fox news. Vice is only trying to acquaint and document the outrageous acts that are occurring throughout the world. I have a few solutions that will help enlighten Vice. One way you can help end the organizations invisibility is to televise one of their episode so that the people of America can see what is going outside our country. Another is to help advertise their magazines which could lead to more publicity and exposure. However I do understand why Vice is socially invisible, it is because of their explicit content and apathetic view to others perspectives and morals. Do to their invisibility they face the difficulty of enlightening the people of America to new and different worlds.
Thank you Mr. Murdoch for taking the time for reading this letter, I hope that this letter will change the ways of how people will view the world and how they treat each other despite race, age, gender, color, and sexual orientation.
Sincerely ,
Armando V.
I need to share something with you that you have been neglecting over the past two decades. It is the Vice organization. Murdoch you continuously reject to televise the dolorous truth of the world and all of its inhumane acts on society. However instead of displaying the truth you blindfold America with yellow journalism on Fox news. Vice is only trying to acquaint and document the outrageous acts that are occurring throughout the world. I have a few solutions that will help enlighten Vice. One way you can help end the organizations invisibility is to televise one of their episode so that the people of America can see what is going outside our country. Another is to help advertise their magazines which could lead to more publicity and exposure. However I do understand why Vice is socially invisible, it is because of their explicit content and apathetic view to others perspectives and morals. Do to their invisibility they face the difficulty of enlightening the people of America to new and different worlds.
Thank you Mr. Murdoch for taking the time for reading this letter, I hope that this letter will change the ways of how people will view the world and how they treat each other despite race, age, gender, color, and sexual orientation.
Sincerely ,
Armando V.
Luke B. : Military Veterans
Dear President Obama,
We are extremely fortunate and blessed to be citizens in a country where we have our individual rights as citizens that not only protect us from harm, but allow us to think independently and share our developing ideas to our fellow peers. However, most of the time we take for granted the fact that we have the right to do and say as we speak, and to acknowledge the people who sacrificed their lives and comfort to not only attain these rights, but not to protect them from all sources of evil. We, as a country, need to become more appreciative of our fellow military veterans so that they do not feel invisible to the rest of society. They are the backbone of this great country and the source of its pride. They should feel that pride every day.
The first reason why we should eliminate the invisibility of military veterans is simply because they put their lives on the line to protect and guarantee our civil rights and establish world order. Even if their jobs while on active duty were not necessarily dangerous, they go through rigorous training and sacrifice their valuable time away to serve and honor their country. Our country. They spend time away from their families and friends for months and even years, as far as across the globe, doing their job representing the United States of America. In order to help decrease the invisibility of this valuable group, there should be organized get-togethers and special events in the community for these veterans to bond with each other and feel more “at home”, since most of the time they feel isolated and not having the ability to connect with their peers as much as others.
The second reason to why we should end their invisibility is because they do not receive the benefits that most people in society get, especially when looking for a job. After they become honorably discharged or for some reason retire from their active service in the military, they become one of the many thousands who struggle to look for jobs which pay a solid amount
to make a living off of. Although they get several benefits and even a few of them have a college degree themselves, in a tough job market like this it is hard for them to fit in our society with the past experience they had during their service. Most companies who hire do not even consider there service and how hard they had to work during the duration of it. Veterans and other military members should get special discounts on goods and services. Even though in some places military members are discounted, they are scarce and hard to find.
The third and final reason to end the depressing invisibility of this group is because of PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The definition of it clearly states that it is when someone has anxiety over the threat of severe injury or even death, which is what some veterans encounter, especially those involved in previous wars go through. Although this does not directly affect all veterans, it puts those who are affected in misery through all of the experiences they underwent during their service. What is even worse it that most people fail to recognize worse yet acknowledge their service and this unfortunate mental disorder which has shadowed over them. We need to have more awareness days for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as for veterans to make them feel more appreciated in our society, not just once a year.
To summarize, the fact that these veterans are getting only a fraction of the respect they deserve is quite depressing. They have physically worked harder than most of us, and sacrifice more blood to keep this great country intact against all enemies who attempt to conquer. I am sure that if we stepped in their shoes and went through the same experiences as they did, we would want exactly what they want. Instead they are portrayed as the few, those who so-called “believe in violence” and “work for the government”, while in reality, they are humans like us, except that they are humans that have sacrificed their time, families, and lives, all for the sake of serving the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Luke B.
We are extremely fortunate and blessed to be citizens in a country where we have our individual rights as citizens that not only protect us from harm, but allow us to think independently and share our developing ideas to our fellow peers. However, most of the time we take for granted the fact that we have the right to do and say as we speak, and to acknowledge the people who sacrificed their lives and comfort to not only attain these rights, but not to protect them from all sources of evil. We, as a country, need to become more appreciative of our fellow military veterans so that they do not feel invisible to the rest of society. They are the backbone of this great country and the source of its pride. They should feel that pride every day.
The first reason why we should eliminate the invisibility of military veterans is simply because they put their lives on the line to protect and guarantee our civil rights and establish world order. Even if their jobs while on active duty were not necessarily dangerous, they go through rigorous training and sacrifice their valuable time away to serve and honor their country. Our country. They spend time away from their families and friends for months and even years, as far as across the globe, doing their job representing the United States of America. In order to help decrease the invisibility of this valuable group, there should be organized get-togethers and special events in the community for these veterans to bond with each other and feel more “at home”, since most of the time they feel isolated and not having the ability to connect with their peers as much as others.
The second reason to why we should end their invisibility is because they do not receive the benefits that most people in society get, especially when looking for a job. After they become honorably discharged or for some reason retire from their active service in the military, they become one of the many thousands who struggle to look for jobs which pay a solid amount
to make a living off of. Although they get several benefits and even a few of them have a college degree themselves, in a tough job market like this it is hard for them to fit in our society with the past experience they had during their service. Most companies who hire do not even consider there service and how hard they had to work during the duration of it. Veterans and other military members should get special discounts on goods and services. Even though in some places military members are discounted, they are scarce and hard to find.
The third and final reason to end the depressing invisibility of this group is because of PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The definition of it clearly states that it is when someone has anxiety over the threat of severe injury or even death, which is what some veterans encounter, especially those involved in previous wars go through. Although this does not directly affect all veterans, it puts those who are affected in misery through all of the experiences they underwent during their service. What is even worse it that most people fail to recognize worse yet acknowledge their service and this unfortunate mental disorder which has shadowed over them. We need to have more awareness days for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as for veterans to make them feel more appreciated in our society, not just once a year.
To summarize, the fact that these veterans are getting only a fraction of the respect they deserve is quite depressing. They have physically worked harder than most of us, and sacrifice more blood to keep this great country intact against all enemies who attempt to conquer. I am sure that if we stepped in their shoes and went through the same experiences as they did, we would want exactly what they want. Instead they are portrayed as the few, those who so-called “believe in violence” and “work for the government”, while in reality, they are humans like us, except that they are humans that have sacrificed their time, families, and lives, all for the sake of serving the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Luke B.
Laura J. : Elder Invisibility
12 May 2014
Dear Humanity,
I believe that elderly people are not being recognized enough by society. This is not only a local issue, but a global issue as well. Each and every day elderly people go unnoticed, and do not receive the respect that they should. The elderly are very wise and a strong connection to the past, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
To begin, it is essential to be aware of the fact that many elderly people are isolated from the community. Many elderly people live alone and only get to visit their family and friends every so often. This is an unfortunate situation to be in as they are alone most of the time with no one to talk to and be with. I imagine that many elderly people in this situation feel like they are not cared about and they are invisible to society.
Elderly people are very wise as they have many years of knowledge. They are strong connections to our pasts; they have lived through many time periods, many changes, and many important moments in history. By talking to the elderly, we learn so much about the past and the history that we weren’t able to live in.
Lastly, as a society, we are all created equal. This means that no individual or social group should be ignored. Everyone has the right to be respected by others and to be appreciated for what they bring into the world. This reasoning is the same for elderly people. They have done so much for us in the past, and they should be thanked by us now, in the present. I think one great solution to the issue of elderly people not being recognized is to volunteer at a retirement home, or even just visit the elderly that live there. By volunteering or visiting them, they feel like people care about them and want to see them. They feel respected and appreciated if younger people are helping them out. And a great benefit is that by talking with them, we will learn a lot of knowledge and history from the stories that they share with us.
Sincerely,
Laura Johnson
Dear Humanity,
I believe that elderly people are not being recognized enough by society. This is not only a local issue, but a global issue as well. Each and every day elderly people go unnoticed, and do not receive the respect that they should. The elderly are very wise and a strong connection to the past, and they deserve to be treated with respect.
To begin, it is essential to be aware of the fact that many elderly people are isolated from the community. Many elderly people live alone and only get to visit their family and friends every so often. This is an unfortunate situation to be in as they are alone most of the time with no one to talk to and be with. I imagine that many elderly people in this situation feel like they are not cared about and they are invisible to society.
Elderly people are very wise as they have many years of knowledge. They are strong connections to our pasts; they have lived through many time periods, many changes, and many important moments in history. By talking to the elderly, we learn so much about the past and the history that we weren’t able to live in.
Lastly, as a society, we are all created equal. This means that no individual or social group should be ignored. Everyone has the right to be respected by others and to be appreciated for what they bring into the world. This reasoning is the same for elderly people. They have done so much for us in the past, and they should be thanked by us now, in the present. I think one great solution to the issue of elderly people not being recognized is to volunteer at a retirement home, or even just visit the elderly that live there. By volunteering or visiting them, they feel like people care about them and want to see them. They feel respected and appreciated if younger people are helping them out. And a great benefit is that by talking with them, we will learn a lot of knowledge and history from the stories that they share with us.
Sincerely,
Laura Johnson
Sam S.
To those Whom it May Concern, the President, and his Cabinet,
The situation in Southern Asia has grown out of control in recent years, and the suffering of the
region's people can no longer go unrecognized. For years the west has turned a blind eye to this
injustice in favor of their own economic prosperity through trade with the region's economic
superpowers. The time has come to put action behind principal, and free our morals from the
shroud of our purse strings. I beg of you now, to take action, and grant the humble people of
Tibet a dawn free of Chinese encroachment.
For decades now, Tibet's military weakness, geographical isolation, and rich mineral deposits
have made the ancient, mysterious nation a prime target for Chinese encroachment and
annexation. Unhindered by the world's conscience or militaries, China has caused immense
damage and committed shocking injustices against the Tibetan people over the course of the
last half century. China's crimes include both military and civil disruption as well as religious
desecration. Worst of all, however is the despair they have cast down upon the free spirited and
tradition ridden people of Tibet. Hidden in the shadow of their oppressors, and the shadow of the
mountains for which their nation is known, the Tibetan people have long since given into their
fate, as they believe no help, no caring aid, will come in their time if need. They have done
nothing to bring this upon themselves, yet they suffer these atrocities all the same.
The western world. Hope. It is our right and duty to oppose such tyranny wherever it can be
found, and bring comfort and empowerment to those who are suffering. As the leaders of the
free world, you cannot simply stand by while the innocent suffer. Tibet is in need of immediate
aid, and that call must be answered. If the injustices of the world's superpowers are not met by
nations of equal strength, the sanctity of all smaller nations will be defiled, and the sovereignty of
all will be brought into question.
Action without hesitation. Goodwill to those in need. This is what is asked of you now in these
trying times. The veil of silence must be lifted from those lofty mountains, so that the eyes of the
world may know what injustice is being done to the innocent.
Liam S.
Dear people of Santa Barbara County,
I am the eldest brother of a brotherhood which I joined only two months ago. I believe this brotherhood to be under represented and invisible to the community and that must be stopped. This brotherhood consists of the Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, and San Marcos lacrosse teams. No one really knows that we exist and I don’t blame them this is only our first year having teams at our schools. But as next year comes and Lacrosse becomes a CIF sport at our schools people need to become more aware of the sport and its benefits to their school and its students.
Lacrosse is a sport that has been solely for private school here in California, but no more. We have brought lacrosse to the public schools of Santa Barbara, now we must make people aware and end the invisibility of sport so we can reap its benefits. Lacrosse is a very intense and entertaining game to watch giving it the potential to draw large crowds, and with those crowds come the potential of a substantial revenue from the sport which can be used not only for funding lacrosse itself but help fund other athletic programs too. The introduction of lacrosse to our schools with also increase school spirit dramatically in a time of the year where it’s at its lowest. School spirit usually peeks during football season and dies off after basketball, with lacrosse school spirit will never take a downfall with the reintroduction of Friday night lights students will have a greater sense of community within the school as they cheer on their fellow students. Everyone is always looking for a way to boost their collage application and lacrosse is a great way to do that. Almost every collage has a lacrosse team making it a great opportunity to receive scholarships or to help you get into your dream collage. Lacrosse is an amazing sport that everyone should have the privilege to play and experience if you know of anyone who might have the slightest interest in playing lacrosse and joining our brotherhood have them talk to their schools coach and join the team, they won’t be disappointed.
Sincerely,
Liam S.
I am the eldest brother of a brotherhood which I joined only two months ago. I believe this brotherhood to be under represented and invisible to the community and that must be stopped. This brotherhood consists of the Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, and San Marcos lacrosse teams. No one really knows that we exist and I don’t blame them this is only our first year having teams at our schools. But as next year comes and Lacrosse becomes a CIF sport at our schools people need to become more aware of the sport and its benefits to their school and its students.
Lacrosse is a sport that has been solely for private school here in California, but no more. We have brought lacrosse to the public schools of Santa Barbara, now we must make people aware and end the invisibility of sport so we can reap its benefits. Lacrosse is a very intense and entertaining game to watch giving it the potential to draw large crowds, and with those crowds come the potential of a substantial revenue from the sport which can be used not only for funding lacrosse itself but help fund other athletic programs too. The introduction of lacrosse to our schools with also increase school spirit dramatically in a time of the year where it’s at its lowest. School spirit usually peeks during football season and dies off after basketball, with lacrosse school spirit will never take a downfall with the reintroduction of Friday night lights students will have a greater sense of community within the school as they cheer on their fellow students. Everyone is always looking for a way to boost their collage application and lacrosse is a great way to do that. Almost every collage has a lacrosse team making it a great opportunity to receive scholarships or to help you get into your dream collage. Lacrosse is an amazing sport that everyone should have the privilege to play and experience if you know of anyone who might have the slightest interest in playing lacrosse and joining our brotherhood have them talk to their schools coach and join the team, they won’t be disappointed.
Sincerely,
Liam S.